Silo.



E. R. HOLLAND 81 G. A. HENDERSON. SILOI APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, I916 1,251,230. Patented De0.1917.

2 SHEETSSHEE T I.

E. R HQLLANDia G A. HENDERSON.

SILO. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28. 1916 Patented Des. 25, 191?.

. 2 SHETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nhaionnaNnMIDfineness. HENDERSON, or MANsFt-ELD, TEXAS.

:Be it lenowntlrat we, EARL R-HonL-ANI) and GEoncn A. HENDn'RsoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Tar-rant and-State *of Texas, have of Fig. 2;

Fig. at is a detail pers ective view of one of the braces or steps secured across the door opening.

In carrying out oui' %invention we provide a flooror foundation 1- at any suitable or preferred material and upon the said foundation or fl-Zior we erect posts -61" ribs "2 which are disposed at equal distances from the center of the floor and are preferably arranged so as to define the corners of an octagonal body. The exact arrangement of the posts or ribs and the number of the same may, however, be varied at will. The posts are constructed in their sides with a plurality of tongues 3 and intervening grooves, the portions of the ribs upon which the tongues and grooves are formed being converged toward the inner side of the ribs,

as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The outer portions of the ribs are projected laterally somewhat beyond the tongue and groove portion so as to present shoulders t against which the staves 5 constituting the sides of the silo may rest. The staves may be of any dimensions according to the size of the silo to be built and in their ends are formed with tongues 6 and intervening grooves adapted to engage the tongues and rooves on the ribs, as clearly shown in ig. 2, whereby the staves may be inserted between the upper ends of the ribs or posts and then slid vertically downward so that they will form a wall of superposed staves extending from the floor or foundation 1 to the tops of the ribs. Over the upper staves we engage the bails 7 having their upper ends formed into books 8 which will engage over Specification of Letters iatent; Patented D80. 25., 1,917

Appl ication'iild September 28; 19 1 6.

Serial no. 122,696.

the staves, as clearly shown, and the upperarrest s'tav'es *may obviously be constructed with notehes to receive the hooks. The intermediate portions of these bails are V-shape'd and depend from the upper 'staves, as clearly shown-in Fig. 1, hooks 9 being fitted upon the bails at the apex of the V-shaped portion thereof and engaged in eyes at the upper ends'of'brace rods 10. The lower-ends of the brace rods are engaged in turnbuck'les 11 which form connections with lower rods 12 having their lower extremities engaged in anchors 13 which are buried in the floor or foundation 1 or in the ground adjacent the silo. The brace rods 10 and '12 are disposed atthe outer sides "of the silo and it will be readily understood that by properlymanipulating the turn-buckles the brace rods may be put under any desired tension so that the staves will'be firmly clamped together and tight- .joints formed between them so that leakage cannot occur.

Between two adjacent posts or ribs 2, which appear at the cente'r of Fig. 1, we extend combined step and brace bars 14 each of which consists'of a central bar 15 having its ends 16 beveled so that it may fit between and against the inner opposed faces of the adjoining posts. From each end of the central member 15 at the front side thereof a wing 17 extends at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the central body so that the wings may fit against the outer faces of the posts between which the central member is disposed and securing bolts 18 are inserted through the wings into the said posts or ribs to firmly secure the step and brace bar thereto. By reference to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be readily noted that these steps are disposed equi-dista-ntly through the entire height of the silo so that they form a permanent ladder to permit an attendant to reach the top of the silo for the purpose of inspecting the contents or removing a stave or for any other purpose. Annular brace bands 19 are passed around the silo and seated in the outer faces of the several ribs and in grooves 20 formed in the upper side of the wings 17 at the inner faces thereof. These annular braces are divided and have their ends connected by turn-buckles 21 whereby they may be placed under any desired tension and spreading and separation of the members of the silo positively prevented. A roof or cover 22 of any preferred form may be placed over the silo and supported in any desired manner by the upper end of the same. The staves 23 disposed between those posts or ribs to which the Step or brace bars 14 are secured are disposed obliquely, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, and this arrangement facilitates the withdrawal of such staves as the material within the silo is consumed so that access may be easily had to the same as it is desired to draw a supply therefrom Stock is placed in and withdrawn from the silo in the usual manner. \Vhen the silo is filled the outward pressure exerted thereon by its contents will be effectually resisted by the braces 19 and by the staves which are firmly clamped together. It will also be noted that each stave has a double tongue and groove connection with the posts at its ends so that the posts are enabled to eflieiently withstand the strain applied thereto through the staves by the contents of the silo and should the tongues break off or become useless through the action of moisture or other agents the staves will have a firm bearing upon the posts, inasmuch as the shoulders 4 upon the posts adjacent the tongue portion thereof will positively engage the outer surfaces of the staves, as shown clearly in Fig, 2.

Our improved silo may be very readily set up by an unskilled person and repairs may be easily made. When it is necessary to clean the silo the staves 23 may be quickly withdrawn and access had to the entire interior. Should it be desired to change the location of the silo the parts may be easily disconnected and very readily setup at the new location.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a silo, the combination of spaced posts, brace bars consisting of central bodies disposed between and fitting against the inner opposed sides of the posts, and wings extending from the ends of said central bodies in divergent relation thereto and bearing against the outer sides of the posts, securing devices inserted through said wings into the posts, and annular bands extending across the posts and over the wings and held to the outer sides of the posts by the wings.

2. In a silo, the combination of spaced posts, brace bars consisting of central bodies fitting between and against opposed sides of the posts, and wings extending from the ends of said central bodies at the outer sides thereof to bear against the outer faces of the posts, said wings having longitudinal recesses in their inner sides at the upper edges thereof, brace bands fitted in said recesses, and means for placing said bands under tension.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures. I

EARL R. HOLLAND.

, s. [1,. SJ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

